Hopkins Habitat for Humanity sponsored its annual Boxfest fundraiser last Friday, during which students slept in cardboard boxes on the Beach to raise money and awareness for Baltimore's low-income housing.
Ten students spent the night in corrugated cardboard shelters on the lawn, and other students stopped by throughout the night to support the students and play games. Participants raised money for Hopkins Habitat by getting donations from sponsors.
The event was originally scheduled for Oct. 7, but heavy rains forced the organizers to push the date back a week.
"The turnout was a little lower than last year just because we had to reschedule," said Hopkins Habitat President Audrey DiMauro.
"Last year, about 25 or 30 people came [to Boxfest]," said sophomore David Chang, co-chair of on-campus fundraising for Habitat.
"But we've had awful weather the past few days and the ground is really soggy," Chang said.
Chang thought the poor weather may have deterred more students from attending Boxfest.
Hopkins Habitat will use the money raised at Boxfest to build a house in Sandtown.
"We pay all the sponsorship fees and do all the labor on the house," said DiMauro.
The Boxfest fundraiser is an important event because the sponsorship fees are so high.
"It costs $60,000 to sponsor a house in Sandtown, but we only pay $30,000," said Chang. According to Chang, this year's Boxfest raised $600.
"We encouraged [participants] to collect from hallmates, classmates, friends, whomever," Chang continued. "It's all for a good cause. We subtract our operating costs, and everything else goes towards building a house in Sandtown."
The organizers saw Boxfest as a chance to get new members involved.
"For most people here, this was their first big event for Habitat," said DiMauro.
Freshmen Paul Stegall and Ana Johnson camped out at Boxfest though neither has been on a work trip yet."I came to support Habitat," said Johnson, who raised about $20 for the cause.
"It sounded like fun," Stegall said. "I thought it was happening last week [in the rain] and I was up for it then, so I'm wasn't really worried [about the weather]."
"We do have to raise a lot of money," said Guzman. "But [Boxfest] is also to raise awareness for the situation, especially since low-income people live here in Baltimore. When people come here, we can talk to them about work trips and then they understand it a little better because they've lived in a box for a night."
Participants made use of the library's indoor plumbing until it closed at 2 a.m., and no one reported brushing his or her teeth.
"It's not comfortable. It's a box. It's pretty cold," said DiMauro of her temporary home.
Johnson, who brought only a jacket, a blanket and a Nalgene bottle with her, was more optimistic about the night, saying, "It's like camping."
"Except in a box," added Stegall.
Boxfest is only one of many fundraisers hosted by Hopkins Habitat."We hold our annual Habijam concert in the spring," said Chang. "We also sponsor Ravens games."
Habitat club members meet every Saturday to drive into Sandtown to work on the house.
Habitat for Humanity International, Inc. is a Georgia-based, Christian non-profit organization that strives to provide people in need with improved housing conditions. The Hopkins chapter of Habitat for Humanity works in accordance with the national headquarters to provide people of need in Baltimore with assistance for housing.
